poison tree ✴︎ - perseus jackson

015. hope summers is crowned underworld princess, in the future.

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘'𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 turning blue with how tight Hope's grip on his hand was. The four of them were walking through a dark and clouded forests, and Hope being scared of forests, was clinging onto Percy's hand just to make sure he was there next to her, and he was.

"We can't ignore this." Grover said as they walked.

"Stop." Percy replied, Grover just continuing.

"It's just math. The four of us, plus your mom, is five people, and only four pearls. Someone is staying behind and it should really be me." Grover explained. Even after Hope had given him her pearl, told him countless of times to stop worrying, Grover still worried.

"Grover. It's already been decided. I'm staying behind and Hades can transport me back to camp. There's no math to this." Hope explained, feeling Percy tense at the subject. She squeezed his hand, a little more tighter than what it was but still managed to squeeze it for comfort, him squeezing her hand back, sorta.

Percy didn't like the idea of Hope staying behind, he hated it actually. But Hope was stubborn on her decided decisions, and this was one of her decided decisions.

"And what if he doesn't transport you back?" Grover questioned, Percy eyeing Hope to see her response.

"Then I finally get out of that hell of a camp." Hope said subtly.

"Look, it wasn't your fault." Percy said, all four of them stopping, "And even if it were, you're not getting left behind. Period." Percy said, looking Grover straight in the eyes.

  "Either way, I have options on getting out of here." Hope said, shrugging her shoulders.

  "Which are?" Annabeth inquired, raising her eyebrows.

  "Have Hades transport me back to camp or to Olympus. If my dad feels like being a dad today, he can transport me back to camp. Or I just stay in the Underworld and rule it with my favorite uncle." Hope smiled off, all of them looking at her with disbelief. "Hey, I would make a great Underworld princess." she shrugged.

  "I think you would make the dead people want to kill themselves, again." Annabeth said, cause Percy to crack a smile and Hope to cross her arms over her chest.

  "Like you would do any better as an Underworld princess." Hope grumbled before she walked off ahead of them, Annabeth and Percy just starring at her amused and Grover just looking at her confused.

"We're definitely not letting her become an Underworld princess right?" Grover asked, pointing at the girl.

"Definitely."

"Absolutely."

They all walked after the girl, catching up to her before she stopped, gasping slightly. They were in Asphodel.

"Sorry." Percy softly said, Hope just looking at the trapped soul.

"They can't hear you." Annabeth said, more trapped souls around them appearing from the fog.

"They?" Grover asked, him, Percy and Annabeth looking around but Hope's eyes staying on the trapped souls in front of her, looking at it with soft eyes.